From the last quarter of the year, Barbadians will be contributing through the social security system, to the operating costs of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH).
Word of this came from Prime Minister Mia Mottley yesterday afternoon as she delivered her first Financial Statement and Budgetary Proposal in the House of Assembly yesterday. Coming just a little over two weeks since her party was swept to power in a landslide victory in the General Election, Mottley revealed that as of October 1, 2018 Government will raise a 2.5 percent Health Service Contribution to help tackle the mammoth healthcare bill in this country until a long term solution can be found.
According to her 1.5 percent of insurable earnings will be paid by employers and the remaining 1 percent of insurable earnings will be paid by employees and self-employed persons. Her comments came as she said that it is expected to raise $45 million in a full fiscal year, and $22.5 million for fiscal year 2018-2019.
“This will meet more than 25 percent of the budget of the QEH and we will make amendments to the appropriate legislation to ensure that the NIS may forward the collected funds to the QEH directly for the purpose for which it has been collected. What a departure from the NSRL [National Social Responsibility Levy],” she said.
The Mottley Administration’s move comes against the backdrop of years of talk regarding healthcare financing and Government’s ability to continue meeting those costs which account for a major portion of the annual expenditure of the country. As she addressed the Lower House, Prime Minister Mottley said her Government will not be in a position to settle the sustainable long term financing of our healthcare system until the final phase of the Barbados Economic Recovery and Transformation Plan which is being implemented.
“We Sir have to complete the appropriate review of all relevant studies, including those completed by the last Government which were not shared with us fully and which within two weeks we have been unable to do in as appropriate a time, in spite of us working full steam ahead and I apologise to the country for not being able to complete that. As a result we will not be in a position to settle the sustainable long term financing of our healthcare system until Phase 3 of our Plan,” she added.
Her comments came as she acknowledged that the demographics of the Barbados population, with a higher number of elderly persons, than persons entering the workforce and the significant increase seen as it relates to the incidence of Chronic Non-communicable Diseases, is resulting in the cost of public health care continues to rise at an unsustainable rate.
Prime Minister Mottley also disclosed plans to reduce the “tremendous” pressure currently being put on the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department of the QEH. In the first instance, they will extend the opening hours of two polyclinics, Randall Phillips and Sir Winston Scott to a 24 hour basis, which she indicated will cost taxpayers approximately $3 million. Mottley did not put a timeline on this plan, noting that it would depend on the additional staff complement that has to be deployed.
The PM noting the inadequate space within the A&E, revealed that some $11 million has also been earmarked to facilitate expansion of that vital department both physically with respect to triage and the waiting lounge and in respect of equipment. She added that once the waiting lounge is finished, it will go out for public tender to be managed as a hospitality lounge, so that the loved ones of the patients have the best possible ambiance as they wait anxiously to hear of the patients’ wellbeing. (JRT)